Gas burner igniting means



May 14, l1940. J. E, BRQWNING 2,201,077

4GAS BURNER IGNITING MEANS May 14, 1940- J.,E. RowNlNc; 2,201,077 l GAS BURNER IGNITING MEANS Filed Aug. V1'7', 1958 2 sheets-sheet 2 -ONv James I'. Browning WITNESS Patented May 14, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT AoFI-lcII-z GAS BURNER IGNITING IVIEANS James E. Browning, San Antonio, Tex., assignor 'of one-half to Claude V. Birkhead and Werner N. Beckmann, both of San Antonio, Tex., copartners doing business as Birkhead, Beckmann, Stanard & Vance Application August 17, 1938, Serial No. 225,487

2 Claims.

burner of a gas stove, or other gas burner, by-

means of an igniting burner, the latter being automatically lighted electrically when a gascontrolling valve member is moved to a predetermined position.

A further object is to make novel provision whereby either a. main orV an auxiliary burner may be lighted by means of the electrically lighted igniting burner.

Yet another object is to provide a novel electric switch mechanism for controllingy the ignition circuit utilized to effect lighting of the igniting burner.

With the foregoing in View, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter desscribed and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view partly in horizontal section.

Fig, 2 is 'a' side elevation partly in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a diagram cutting through the burner on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and showing the switch mechanism as viewed on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, said switch mechanism being shown diagrammatically connected with the electrodes over the igniting burner and With an induction coil and source of current, such as a battery.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryfront elevation showing the knob for controlling the movable valve memlegshown in the drawings for illustrative purposes, f

, and while they will be rather 'specifically described, it is to -be understood that variations may be made within the scope of the invention as claimed.

A'main` burner 8 and an auxiliary or simmer burner 9 are shown in concentric relation with each other, and within the coniines Lof said ,burner 9 I have shown a perforated hood Il! .Y 'under which two electrodes II and I2 are mounted, said electrodes being directly over an igniting burner I3. Two gaspassages in the conduit member I4, extend to the burners 8 and l respectively, and a separate conduit I5 is shown for the igniting burner I3. The outer ends of these conduits I4 and I5 are provided with suitable valved air inlets which are indicated at I6 in Fig. 2, and gas is admitted into the inlet passages of the three burners through appropriate nipples I'I connected with short pipes I8, I9 and 20, these pipes being connected with discharge nipples 2|, 22 and 23 on the body or casprovided with a gas inlet nipple 25 communicating with the usual range manifold or the like 26. A tapered valve plug 21 is rotatable within the valve casing and is provided with an operating stem 28 extending through the front plate 29 of the range or the like and provided with an operating knob 30. The plug 21 is provided with a central gas-receiving chamber 3I and. with four radial ports 32, 33, 34 and 35 communicating with said chamber and extending to the periphery of the plug for coaction with the nipples 2|, 22, 23 and 25.

The plug 21 may be turned to any of seven positions, one of which is a fully closed position, shown in Fig. 5. When the plug is turned to the right to one' open position (Fig. 6)A gas will flow from the nipple 26 through the port 32 into the chamber 3|, and from this chamber through the port 34 to the nipple 2|, from which it will pass on to the igniting burner I3. .When the plug is turned to the right to a second open position (betweenthe positions shown in Figs. 6 and 7) gas will continue to iiow to the igniting burner I3 and at the same time, the port 33 will be partially in` communication with the nipple 23, so that gas will flow also to the main burner 8. When the plug 2l is turned still further to the right to a third open position, it conducts gas only'from the nipple 25 to the nipple 23 as seen I in Fig. 7, thus continuing the supply of gas to the burner 8 and extinguishing the ignition burner I3. The plug 2'! is also turnable to the left to three positions, the rst of which `places the nipple 25 in communication with the nipple 2| to direct gas to the igniting burner I3. The second position is one in which gas continues to flow to the igniting burner I3 and also iiows to the simmer burner 9 to ignite the latter, and the third position is one `in which gas conti-nues to ilow to thesimmer burner but is cut off from the igniting burner. I

The seven *positions above described, of the plug 21, are preferably indicated on the `front platel 29 for coaction with the knobf30as seen in Fig. I4. 1 `Provision is made for causing aspark'tlzi` ump between the electrodes II and I2 Whenrthekiiob 30 is turned to turn the plug 2l to either of the positions in which it directs gas to the igniting burner I3, thereby lighting this burner, and when the knob is turned further to light either the simmer burner 9 or the main burner 8, the current for the spark gap is, of course, --broken and after initial lighting of said burner 9 or said 5 burner 8, further turning of the knob to burneroperating position will, of course, cut off the flow of gas to the igniting burner I3. When turning the knob 30 back to oi position, a small quantity of gas may again be discharged into the igniting burner I3, but such turning of said .knob will again cause a spark to jump between the electrodes II and I2 so that this gas will be consumed instead of discharging into the room..

For'controlling the supply of` current to the 5 electrodes II and I2, I preferably employ the switch means now to be described, and said switch means completes both the'primary and secondary circuits of an induction coil 36 when the valve member 21 is turned to either of the light lighter positions, to effect ignition of the gas discharged from the burner I3.

An insulating plate 31 is secured to the stem 28 of the valve member 21. At one side of this plate 31 is a metal plate 38 having two contacts 5 .39 passing through said plate 31, said contacts 39 being selectively cooperable with a springpressed contact 40 on a conducting strip 4I suitably mounted behind the plate 29. Also carried by the plate 31 are two angle plates 42 having 0 contacts 43, either of which is cooperable with a spring-pressed contact 44 on another conducting strip 45 mounted under the strip 4 I. Another contact 46 is cooperable with either of the plates 42, said contact 46 being suitably mounted behind 5 the plate 29. Normally, with the valve in off 40 site sides ofthe contact 44, theplates 42 being then also equally spaced from the xed contact 46.

A conductor 41 leads from the strip 4I to the primary winding of the induction coil 36, which 5 coil includes the customary vibrator 48 and condenser 49. Another conductor 50 leads from the strip 45 to the secondary coil or winding of the induction coil 36, and a conductor 5I leads from the contact 46 to the electrode II. The elec- 0 trode I2 is grounded as indicated at 52, one pole of the battery o'r other current source 53 is grounded as indicated at 54, and one end ofthe secondary winding of the ignition coil 36 'is also grounded as at 55, the various ground connections 52, 54 and 55 being of course to metal parts of thestove or the like. 'I'he plate 38 is also grounded to these metal parts, by means of a rivet 56 passing through the hub of the plate 31 and through the stem 28 of the valve plug 21.

60 From the above,- it "-will be seen that turning of the knob 30 to either light lighter position, will complete both the primary and secondary circuits for the induction coil 36, causing the secondary to jump between the electrodes II and I2 to effect ignition of Athe gas discharged from the burner I3. It will also be clear that -further turning of the knob 30 either to the light burner position or the light simmer" position, will again break both the primary and o secondary Itisasimplemattertoeffectlglrtingofeither .burner desired, simply by tunning die knob 3l `tothe properpositionforaninstaniiandthm turningitontcthepmDerBumE-meangposition. The rst movement effects automatic lighting of the burner I3,` further movement causes lighting of one or the other of the burners 8, 9, while the burner I3 is still in operation, and still further movement extinguishes the burner I3 and admits the gas only to the burner 8 or 9 as the case may be. When the knob 39 is turned back to off position, some gas will pass to the burner I3 during this movement, but it will be observed that this movement also causes another spark to jump between the electrodes II and I2, so that this gas whichwould otherwise leak inte the room, will be burned.

Excellent results may be obtained from the general construction shown and described and this construction is, therefore, preferably followed. However, within the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may be made as above stated.

I claim:

1. A valve for directing gas to a main burner, to an auxiliary burner and to an igniting burner for said main and auxiliary burners; said valve comprising a-body having a gas admission port, a. main burner feed port, an auxiliary burner feed port, and an igniting burner' feed port; and a manually rotatable plug in said body normally occupying a neutral position in which all of said ports are closed, said plug having ports operable when said plug is turned in one direction from a neutral position to first place only said igniting burner feed port in communication with said admission port, to then place both said igniting burner feed port and said auxiliary burner feed port in communication with said admission port, and to finally place only said auxiliary burner feed port in communication with said admission port; said plug having additional ports operable when said plug is turned in the other direction from said neutral position to rst place only said igniting burner feed port in communication with said admission port, to then .place both said igniting burner feed port and said main burner feed port in communication with said admission port, and to finally place only said main burner feed port in communication with said admission port.

2. A valve for directing gas to amain burner, to an auxiliary burner and to an igniting burner for said main and auxiliary burners; said valve comprising a body having a gas admission port, a main burner feed port, an auxiliary burner feed port, and an igniting burner feed port; and a manually operable member in said body normally occupying a neutral position in which all ofjsaid ports are closed, said member having` ports operable when said member is moved in one direction from a neutral position to first place only said igniting burner feed port in communication with said admission port, to then place both said igniting burner feed port and said auxiliary burner feed port in communication with said admission port, and to nally place only said auxiliary burner feed port in communication with said admission port; said member also having ports operable when said member is moved in the other direction from said neutral position to rst place only said igniting burner feed port in communication with said admission port, to then place both said igniting burner feed port and said main burner feed rt in communication with said admission por l and to finally place only said main burner feed/port in communica- Ytion with said admission port. 

